PLATE XCVII. 
description is at some length, and deserves, for irs accuracy, to be 
repeated in this place. — “ This fish,” says Dr. Mortimer, “ i* 
smootir skinned, has no scales, or teeth : it has one erect fin on 
its back, ■which arises below its neck, and runs within a little of it® 
tail : on each side, about the middle, between its back and belly, 3 
little forward of the vent, ar ,e a pair of fins : from behind the vent 
runs one fin, within a little of the tail : the tail-fin is large and 
forked : the eyes are large ; the irides are scarier, encompassed with 
a circle of gold-colour, verged with scarlet : its nostrils are placed 
above its eyes : the back and upper part of the body, quite to the 
tail, was of a dark blue or violet-colour ; these and the sides of the 
body, whrch were of a bright green, were all speckled with oblong 
white spots : the chaps were of a pale red ; the nose, gills, and belly> 
were of a silver-colour, and all the fins of a bright scarlet. It was 
three feet seven inches long, and three feet ten inches round, in the 
thickest part : it weighed eighty-two pounds : its mouth was small t 
its tongue thick, almost like the human tongue in shape, but rough, 
and thick set with beards or prickles, which pointed backwards ; so 
that any thing might easily pass down, but could not easily slip back 
again: therefore these might serve instead of teeth for retaining it* 
prey or food : its gills resembled those of the salmon : its body grows 
very taper towards the tail ; and from being compressed to ten inches 
thickness, becomes near the tail almost round, and about three inches 
thick : the whole shape of this fish much resembles that of the sea- 
bream, but it differs in size, being much larger, and in not having 
teeth nor scales : the fin standing erect on the back has some acule* 
next the neck, and rises up to eight inches; but in the middle di- 
minishes to one inch ; and near the tail rises again to about three 
inches, the belly-fin, opposite to this, spreads three incites near th^ 
,,ail, and diminishes towa ds the vent : the tail-fin is forked, and 
spreads twelve inches : the gill fins are nine inches long and three 
